Інтегро-диференціальні системи псевдопараболічного типу: апріорні оцінки та імпульсно-точкова керованість

Для вольтеррівського інтегро-диференціального оператора псевдопараболічного типу одержано апріорні оцінки у негативних нормах, теореми існування та єдиності узагальнених розв'язків відповідних крайових задач. Розглянуто питання імпульсно-точкової керованості систем, що описуються інтегро-диференціальними псевдопараболічними рівняннями.Для вольтерровского интегро-дифференциального оператора псевдопараболического типа получены априорные оценки в негативных нормах, теоремы существования и единственности обобщенных решений соответствующих граничных задач. Рассмотрен вопрос импульсно-точечной управляемости систем, описываемых интегро-дифференциальными псевдопараболическими уравнениями.For a pseudoparabolic Volterra integro-differential operator, the a priori estimates in negative norms and the unique generalized solvability theorems for the corresponding boundary value problems are obtained. The question of impulse-point controllability of systems governed by pseudoparabolic integro-differential equations is investigated

Examining c-di-GMP and possible quorum sensing regulation in Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25:links between intra and inter-cellular regulation benefits community cooperative activities such as biofilm formation

Bacterial success in colonizing complex environments requires individual response to micro-scale conditions as well as community-level cooperation to produce large-scale structures such as biofilms. Connecting individual and community responses could be achieved by linking the intracellular sensory and regulatory systems mediated by bis-(3′-5′)-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) and other compounds of individuals with intercellular quorum sensing (QS) regulation controlling populations. There is growing evidence to suggest that biofilm formation by many pseudomonads is regulated by both intra and intercellular systems, though in the case of the model Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 Wrinkly Spreader in which mutations increasing c-di-GMP levels result in the production of a robust cellulose-based air-liquid interface biofilm, no evidence for the involvement of QS regulation has been reported. However, our recent review of the P. fluorescens SBW25 genome has identified a potential QS regulatory pathway and other QS–associated genes linked to c-di-GMP homeostasis, and QS signal molecules have also been identified in culture supernatants. These findings suggest a possible link between c-di-GMP and QS regulation in P. fluorescens SBW25 which might allow a more sophisticated and responsive control of cellulose production and biofilm formation when colonising the soil and plant-associated environments P. fluorescens SBW25 normally inhabits.Анализ ц-ди-ГМФ и возможного чувства кворума у Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW 25: связь между внутри и межклеточной регуляцией способствует кооперативному поведению в сообществе и формированию биоплёнкиУспешность бактериальной колонизации сложных экониш требует индивидуального ответа на изменения условий на микроуровне равно как и кооперации на уровне сообщества для продукции таких крупно масштабных структур как биоплёнки. Координация индивидуальных ответ ов и ответов сообщества может быть достигнута путем связывания внутриклеточных сенсорных и регуляторных систем, опосредуемых бис-(3',5')-циклическим димерным гуанозинмонофосфатом (ц-ди-ГМФ) и другими соединениями индивидуумов с межклеточной регуляцией - чувством кворума (ЧК), контролирующем популяци ю. Накапливается всё больше доказательств того, что формирование биопленки многими псевдомонадами регулируется как внутри клеточными, так и меж клеточными регуляторными системами, хотя в случае модельной Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 Wrinkly Spreader, у которой мутации, повышающ ие уровни ц-ди-ГМФ, приводят к созданию прочной целлюлозной биоплёнки на границе раздела фаз воздух-жидкость, не было обнаружено ни ка кого свидетельства вовлечения кворум-зависимой регуляции. Однако наш недавний обзор генома P. fluorescens SBW25 выявил потенциальный ЧК-зависимый регуляторный пу ть и другие ЧК-зависимые гены, связанные с гомеостазом ц-ди-ГМФ, а молекулы ЧК-сигналинга были идентифицированы в культуре. Эти данные свидетельствуют о возможной связи между ц-ди-ГМФ-регуляцией и ЧК у P. fluorescens SBW25, что позволяет более сложный и гибкий контроль над продукцией целлюлозы и образовани ем биопленки при колонизации почв и экониш, aссоциированных с растениям и, - естественными средами обитания P. fluorescens SBW25

Variations in older people\u27s emergency care use by social care setting: a systematic review of international evidence

\ua9 The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press. BACKGROUND: Older adults\u27 use of social care and their healthcare utilization are closely related. Residents of care homes access emergency care more often than the wider older population; however, less is known about emergency care use across other social care settings. SOURCES OF DATA: A systematic review was conducted, searching six electronic databases between January 2012 and February 2022. AREAS OF AGREEMENT: Older people access emergency care from a variety of community settings. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY: Differences in study design contributed to high variation observed between studies. GROWING POINTS: Although data were limited, findings suggest that emergency hospital attendance is lowest from nursing homes and highest from assisted living facilities, whilst emergency admissions varied little by social care setting. AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH: There is a paucity of published research on emergency hospital use from social care settings, particularly home care and assisted living facilities. More attention is needed on this area, with standardized definitions to enable comparisons between studies

Inter-individual variation in nucleotide excision repair in young adults: effects of age, adiposity, micronutrient supplementation and genotype

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is responsible for repairing bulky helix-distorting DNA lesions and is essential for the maintenance of genomic integrity. Severe hereditary impairment of NER leads to cancers such as those in xeroderma pigmentosum, and more moderate reductions in NER capacity have been associated with an increased cancer risk. Diet is a proven modifier of cancer risk but few studies have investigated the potential relationships between diet and NER. In the present study, the plasmid-based host cell reactivation assay was used to measure the NER capacity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from fifty-seven volunteers aged 18–30 years before and after 6 weeks of supplementation with micronutrients (selenium and vitamins A, C and E). As a control, nine individuals remained unsupplemented over the same period. Volunteers were genotyped for the following polymorphisms in NER genes: ERCC5 Asp1104His (rs17655); XPC Lys939Gln (rs2228001); ERCC2 Lys751Gnl (rs13181); XPC PAT (an 83 bp poly A/T insertion–deletion polymorphism in the XPC gene). NER capacity varied 11-fold between individuals and was inversely associated with age and endogenous DNA strand breaks. For the first time, we observed an inverse association between adiposity and NER. No single polymorphism was associated with the NER capacity, although significant gene–gene interactions were observed between XPC Lys939Gln and ERCC5 Asp1104His and XPC Lys939Gln and ERCC2 Lys751Gnl. While there was no detectable effect of micronutrient supplementation on NER capacity, there was evidence that the effect of fruit intake on the NER capacity may be modulated by the ERCC2 Lys751Gnl single nucleotide polymorphism

USING NONLINEAR FIXED AND MIXED MODELS TO STUDY ACCLIMATION TO HEAT STRESS IN CATTLE

Researchers studying acclimation of cattle to heat stress want to know if exposure to heat stress in controlled chambers will help cattle adjust to climatic conditions in the field. The four parameter nonlinear PET model is used to study the relationship between core body temperature and ambient temperature. This model works well when cattle are challenged by heat stress but the model is less useful for thermoneutral conditions. Both proc Nlin and Nlmixed are used to compare and contrast the field parameters between the controlled and the potentially acclimated group. Simulation studies were used to compare the effectiveness of proc Nlin versus proc Nlmixed. The results are helpful, not only for researchers who study acclimation, but also for those who study sensitivity, tolerance and robustness of cattle during heat stress

Chapter 3: Mental health treatment and services

In this chapter reported use of psychotropic medication and psychological therapy are examined, as well as the extent of use of health care services for a mental health reason (GP, inpatient and outpatient health care) and day and community service use. It should be noted that rates presented are based on participant self-reports, not health records. Misclassifications of type of treatment or service are possible, and which was the providing organisation was not established

Biosurfactants as Bioremediation Tools Isolated from Bacteria Found in Industrial Wastewaters of the Kakuri Drain Kaduna, Northern Nigeria

Biosurfactants are chemical substances produced in living spaces or excreted extracellular hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties that confer on the organism the ability to accumulate between fluid phases thus reducing surface and interfacial tension. Biosurfactants are produced by several microorganisms which include Bacillus sp., Candida antactica, Acinetobacter and Psudomonas aeruginosa. The physiological role of biosurfactant production in microorganisms include among others, the ability to make substrates readily available for uptake by the cells in adverse environmental conditions. Biosurfactant applications in the environmental industries are promising due to their biodegradability, low toxicity, and effectiveness in enhancing biodegradation and solubilization of low solubility compounds. Bacterial strains isolated from the Kakuri drain expressed high Liquid Surface Tension Reducing Activity (LSTRA).Strains were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the API20E Kit. Strain Ali31 (P.aeruginosa) recorded a mean surface tension of 29.033mN/m, while the lowest surface tension recorded amongst the strains was 28.840mN/m by strain Ali13 (P.aeruginosa).The model strain recorded a mean of 57.979mN/m. Several factors however influence biosurfactant production, such as nature of carbon source, temperature, pH and aeration

Environmentally co-occurring mercury resistance plasmids are genetically and phenotypically diverse and confer variable context-dependent fitness effects

Plasmids are important mobile elements that can facilitate genetic exchange and local adaptation within microbial communities. We compared the sequences of four co-occurring pQBR-family environmental mercury resistance plasmids and measured their effects on competitive fitness of a Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 host, which was isolated at the same field site. Fitness effects of carriage differed between plasmids and were strongly context dependent, varying with medium, plasmid status of competitor and levels of environmental mercury. The plasmids also varied widely in their rates of conjugation and segregational loss. We found that few of the plasmid-borne accessory genes could be ascribed functions, although we identified a putative chemotaxis operon, a type IV pilus-encoding cluster, and a region encoding putative arylsulfatase enzymes, which were conserved across geographically distant isolates. One plasmid, pQBR55, conferred the ability to catabolise sucrose. Transposons, including the mercury resistance Tn5042, appeared to have been acquired by the different pQBR plasmids by recombination, indicating an important role for horizontal gene transfer in the recent evolution of pQBR plasmids. Our findings demonstrate extensive genetic and phenotypic diversity amongst co-occurring members of a plasmid community and suggest a role for environmental heterogeneity in the maintenance of plasmid diversity

Plum modulates Myoglianin and regulates synaptic function in D. melanogaster

Alterations in the neuromuscular system underlie several neuromuscular diseases and play critical roles in the development of sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and function. Mammalian Myostatin (MST) and GDF11, members of the TGF-β superfamily of growth factors, are powerful regulators of muscle size in both model organisms and humans. Myoglianin (MYO), the Drosophila homologue of MST and GDF11, is a strong inhibitor of synaptic function and structure at the neuromuscular junction in flies. Here, we identified Plum, a transmembrane cell surface protein, as a modulator of MYO function in the larval neuromuscular system. Reduction of Plum in the larval body-wall muscles abolishes the previously demonstrated positive effect of attenuated MYO signalling on both muscle size and neuromuscular junction structure and function. In addition, downregulation of Plum on its own results in decreased synaptic strength and body weight, classifying Plum as a (novel) regulator of neuromuscular function and body (muscle) size. These findings offer new insights into possible regulatory mechanisms behind ageing- and disease-related neuromuscular dysfunctions in humans and identify potential targets for therapeutic interventions

What challenges did junior doctors face while working during the COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative study.

Objectives This paper reports findings exploring junior doctors’ experiences of working during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.Design Qualitative study using in-depth interviews with 15 junior doctors. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymised and imported into NVivo V.12 to facilitate data management. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Setting National Health Service (NHS) England.Participants A purposive sample of 12 female and 3 male junior doctors who indicated severe depression and/or anxiety on the DASS-21 questionnaire or high suicidality on Paykel’s measure were recruited. These doctors self-identified as having lived experience of distress due to their working conditions.Results We report three major themes. First, the challenges of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were both personal and organisational. Personal challenges were characterised by helplessness and included the trauma of seeing many patients dying, fears about safety and being powerless to switch off. Work-related challenges revolved around change and uncertainty and included increasing workloads, decreasing staff numbers and negative impacts on relationships with colleagues and patients. The second theme was strategies for coping with the impact of COVID-19 on work, which were also both personal and organisational. Personal coping strategies, which appeared limited in their usefulness, were problem and emotion focused. Several participants appeared to have moved from coping towards learnt helplessness. Some organisations reacted to COVID-19 collaboratively and flexibly. Third, participants reported a positive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on working practices, which included simplified new ways of working—such as consistent teams and longer rotations—as well as increased camaraderie and support.Conclusions The trauma that junior doctors experienced while working during COVID-19 led to powerlessness and a reduction in the benefit of individual coping strategies. This may have resulted in feelings of resignation. We recommend that, postpandemic, junior doctors are assigned to consistent teams and offered ongoing support